Jamie Tickle was drunk and high on cocaine when he launched the attack

He was jailed for 32 months at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to affray and threatening a person with a knife, a spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The court heard Tickle, of Central Drive, Haydock, was drunk and had been taking cocaine when he got into the ice cream van at 5.40pm on July 1.

He threatened to attack Mrs Watkinson, 34, who turned on the dashboard camera inside the vehicle to film his actions.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "I had thoughts of being killed and never seeing my children again. My biggest fear was for the three children I'd been serving.

"I was terrified but had to try and prevent the attacker from going around to the hatch where the children were. I could hear the children screaming and crying."

Tickle ran away after Mrs Watkinson called the police and was later found hiding behind nearby bins.

Kate Gaskell, from Mersey-Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Jamie Tickle's actions left Mrs Watkinson and the children who witnessed the incident terrified and yet the reason why he did this is still unclear.

"The victim is a self-employed businesswoman who works hard to make a living in a neighbourhood that she loves, where she lives and is known well.

"This incident happened on her birthday and, in her statement to the court, she said it was the love and support from her family and neighbours that have helped her through this ordeal.

"Mrs Watkinson made herself take the ice cream van out the day after this ordeal to prove that she wouldn't be intimidated by what had happened. The response from her neighbourhood was to turn out in force with flowers and gestures of support.

Det Con Phil Poynton said: "We welcome the sentence of Tickle and hope this shows others that using a knife on our streets is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it. We will find you and you will be taken off our streets.

"The victim in this case was calm and collected throughout her ordeal and had the foresight to point her dash cam to the offender.

"This action, and her bravery throughout, helped us to identify the offender and make sure he was brought to justice."